


the aftermath.

by pyroallerdyce



Series: captured moments. [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, One Shot Collection, Professor Ben Solo, Short One Shot, Waiters & Waitresses, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:43:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22469578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce
Summary: Rose squealed and walked over to her, wrapping Rey up in a big embrace.  “I am so happy for you!  Ben is a great guy and I just know that this relationship is going to be perfect.”Rey laughed.  “I wouldn't go that far, but it was a nice start to something.”“So spill,” Rose demanded.  “I want details.”or: it's the day after Ben and Rey's date.  Rose and Poe want details.  Ben can't believe that Rey wants to go on another one.
Relationships: Poe Dameron & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey & Rose Tico, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: captured moments. [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1602691
Comments: 8
Kudos: 65





	the aftermath.

**Author's Note:**

> and here we are with some more. sorry it took me a few days but I have been having trouble focusing and I want to do these stories right.
> 
> and as always, if you like what you read, please let me know via a comment or kudos or bookmark so that I know I'm not writing into a void. Enjoy!

Rey walked into the café with a smile on her face and Rose noticed it immediately. “That smile must mean the date went well.”

Rey's smile got even bigger. “It was amazing, Rose. Absolutely amazing.”

Rose squealed and walked over to her, wrapping Rey up in a big embrace. “I am so happy for you! Ben is a great guy and I just know that this relationship is going to be perfect.”

Rey laughed. “I wouldn't go that far, but it was a nice start to something.”

“So spill,” Rose demanded. “I want details.”

Rey just shook her head as she walked into the back, reaching for her apron. “I do not have to give you details.”

“Come on, please,” Rose pleaded. “I am totally living vicariously through you right now and I need to think about something other than work.”

Rey sighed as she tied her apron on. “Oh, alright.”

Rose grinned as she reached for her own apron. “Yay! Now spill.”

“He looked so handsome,” Rey started. “The moment I saw him all I could think about was how much I wanted him, but that was wholly inappropriate for a first date so I tried to stop those thoughts. But when we got to the restaurant and everything, I was so scared to talk to him that I decided to go with the safe subject of literature.”

Rose groaned. “You went on a date and all you talked about was literature? Rey.”

“I didn't say that was all we talked about,” Rey pointed out as she grabbed an order book. “It was just what we started out with. But then once we got our food, I realized that we really did need to talk about something else, so I started asking him questions about him and his family. I learned a lot about him and them, which was nice. He told me why it was he hadn't done this in a while, and I now understand what I'm going to have to deal with because of it, but it was a good conversation.”

“I don't know what that's supposed to mean but please tell me you told him something big about you in return. Because if you didn't, then that's completely unfair.”

Rey sighed heavily. “I promised I would tell him about something someday, but last night was not the time for it.”

Rose just gave her a look. “Seriously? That is not how to have a successful conversation on a date, Rey.”

“We had a successful conversation,” Rey shot back. “We talked about movies and TV and music and all kinds of things, and we have a lot more in common than I'd been thinking we do. And I did tell him a few personal things, like my current financial situation and my current apartment situation, when we went to get ice cream after dinner.”

Rose squealed again. “You went and had ice cream after dinner?”

Rey laughed at her enthusiasm. “Yes. I told him I like to have chocolate ice cream after dinner so he suggested that we go and get some. I think he regretted that choice though. His friend was working in the shop and Ben did not like the things that he said.”

Rose sighed. “Snap was working? Oh my God, Ben must have been horrified.”

“He wasn't happy, that's for sure,” Rey said, walking over to clock in. “But Snap got called into the back and then when he came back out front, I got us out of there and suggested that we finish our ice cream in the park. I could do that again every night.”

Rose was grinning when Rey turned back around. “You and Ben are going to be so great together. You really are.”

“Ben's got some mental obstacles to overcome before I would say that we're together. But if he can overcome them, then I'm more than happy to continue this. He's easily the best guy I've ever dated, and I've only been on one date with him. We agreed that there will be a second date though.”

“A second date!” Rose exclaimed. “Oh, this is wonderful.”

Rey just shook her head. “I think you might be more excited about all of this than I am, Rose.”

“I somehow doubt that,” Rose said, following Rey out of the back. “But I am so happy to hear you had a great date. I really hoped that you would, but no one knew how Ben would handle being on one. Poe said it had been a really long time.”

“A decade,” Rey said without thinking. “Fuck, I shouldn't have told you that.”

Rose reached out and grabbed Rey's arm, making her stop. “Ben hadn't been on a date in a decade? And he asked you to go on one? That must mean you're pretty goddamn special.”

“I'm not special,” Rey said, pulling her arm from Rose's grasp. “And I don't know what it is about me that made him decide I was the one to do this with. I'm just going to be happy that he did.”

“Him deciding that you're the one to do this with means that you're special,” Rose stressed. “You might not see that, but Ben sure as hell does.”

Poe came walking into the room at that moment, and he smiled when he saw Rey. “How was the date?”

“Amazing,” Rey said, smiling. “We're going to go on another one.”

“Fantastic,” Poe exclaimed. “You'll have to tell me all about it later.”

Rey just shook her head. “I am not doing that.”

“I'll just ask Ben then,” Poe said, glancing over at the clock. “I'm gonna go unlock the doors. You two ready?”

“Yes,” the girls said at the same time. 

Poe walked away and Rose gave Rey another smile. “You're special, Rey, whether you want to admit that or not.”

Rey took a deep breath. “Maybe I am. I don't know. All I know at the moment is that I enjoyed the hell out of last night, and the goodnight kiss was incredible.”

“A kiss!” Rose squealed. “There was a kiss!”

Rey shook her head and then turned when the door opened, customers walking in. She was glad for the interruption and turned back to Rose. “Pester me about that later. It's showtime.”

After that, Rey was busy. It was a Saturday so that meant breakfast was much busier than normal and bled into the people coming for lunch. People filed in and out of the place for early lunches and late lunches, and the next thing Rey knew, it was dinner. The dinner rush was well underway when the door opened again, and Rey looked over at it to see Ben walk in. She headed to the door and smiled at him, reaching for a menu. “Good evening, Ben.”

“Good evening to you as well,” Ben said, following Rey when she started walking towards the back. “I take it there's a table for me?”

“Poe said we should reserve one for you once he heard that you were coming tonight,” Rey explained, leading Ben to a table in the back. “He's very eager to talk to you.”

Ben laughed and sat down as Rey picked up the reserved sign. “He wants a report on how the date went, no doubt.”

“I've been pestered about it by Rose all day,” Rey said, smiling at him. “Same drink order as always?”

“Yes,” Ben nodded.

“Then I'll be right back.”

Ben reached into his bag and pulled out the stack of essays he hadn't graded the night before, but before he could get very far, the chair across from his was pulled out and Poe sat down. “Tell me how the date was.”

“I do not have to answer that question.”

“Yes, you do,” Poe said seriously. “Snap was already telling me about part of it.”

Ben lowered the essay he was reading at that. “Snap is a lousy son of a bitch for what he did to me last night. You can tell him that for me because I don't think I'll be speaking to him for a while.”

Poe sighed heavily. “You know how Snap is. He's a gossiper. He also thinks that any girl that gets involved with you should know what they're in for. He just goes about doing that in a completely obnoxious way. I don't know why you're surprised about that.”

“I don't know how Snap could possibly know what a girl that I get involved with is in for,” Ben said seriously. “I am a completely different person to what I was the last time I did this. I don't think that it's fair to compare the two situations.”

“I can agree with that,” Poe said. “And I'll talk to Snap about it. But he was only doing that out of a place of love. I hope you know that.”

Ben took a deep breath. “He almost cost me a second date with her, no matter her saying that he wouldn't have. I know Snap better than Rey does. He would have embarrassed the fuck out of me and made her see that I'm someone she should not be wasting her time on.”

“Ben, Rey has been in such a good mood today. She's had nothing but great things to say about you. She likes you, whether you can understand that or not. She is not going to just suddenly think that you're a loser.”

“You should listen to him,” Rey said, and Ben jumped because he hadn't even seen her approach the table. “Sorry for startling you, but I'm telling you the truth. I'm not going to just suddenly think that you're a loser.”

“You don't know me well enough yet,” Ben mumbled as she set his drinks down. “Just wait.”

“Well, if you're a loser, then I'm one too,” Rey declared. “I can't for the life of me figure out why you want anything to do with me.”

“Rey,” Ben said seriously, “you're amazing.”

“Yeah, well, so are you,” Rey countered back. “Do you know what you want to order?”

Ben picked up the menu, read through it for a moment, and then ordered a burger and fries. “No tomatoes.”

Rey smiled at him. “I will remember that this time, I promise.”

Ben nodded and Rey walked away, and Poe just grinned at him. “This relationship is going to be really good for you.”

“It was a date,” Ben said firmly. “That is not a relationship.”

“Not yet, it's not,” Poe said. “But it will be very soon. I can't imagine this second date will be the last date there is. You two like each other too much for that.”

“Can you leave me alone now please?” Ben asked. “I did not come here for an interrogation. I'm already avoiding phone calls from my mother to stop that one from happening. I don't need you doing it too.”

“I'm not interrogating you,” Poe said seriously. “Leia will definitely do that once she gets a hold of you, no doubt, but I am not doing that.”

“Then what the fuck are you doing?” Ben exclaimed.

“I am making you realize that talking to people about things is better than holding it all inside,” Poe replied. “Friends talk to friends about dates, Ben. And I know you too well to think that you don't need to talk about this one.”

Ben sighed and ran his hands over his face. “I have never been on a better date in my life,” he finally said. “And the kiss goodnight was the best kiss I've ever had. And I'm fucking terrified because of it.”

Poe broke out into a grin. “There was a kiss and you still don't think she likes you? Good lord, Ben.”

“Fuck off.”

“Absolutely not,” Poe said. “I think the fact that you enjoyed last night so much is a great thing. I think the fact that the kiss was great is fantastic. All of that means that you've finally met someone that you're actually interested in. It's been a really, really long time since that happened.”

“I know it has,” Ben muttered. “I don't need constant reminders of that.”

“You should definitely tell Rey about it though. Snap might have some ideas about what Rey should know she's in for that aren't really relevant anymore, but she definitely needs to know what she's in for with that.”

“I did.”

Poe gave him a surprised look. “You what?”

“I told her about Auntie Mara, I told her about the accident, and I told her that I don't let myself get close to anyone because of it. I told her I don't take risks and yet I am taking this one with her because she's so amazing. I told her.” Poe sat there in shock for so long that Ben sighed heavily. “I shouldn't have told you that.”

“No, you definitely should have told me that,” Poe countered back. “This is something massively important. I just can't believe you actually did it.”

“Yeah, well, I needed her to know that it's okay if she wants to run away screaming,” Ben said, reaching for his coffee. “I can't even begin to imagine that she's going to want to put up with all of my emotional bullshit.”

“But she agreed to go on another date with you,” Poe pointed out. “She kissed you. That means that she likes you, Ben. A lot.”

“Hey, Poe?” came Rose's voice. “There's someone here asking about the Help Wanted sign.”

“Brilliant!” Poe exclaimed, standing up. “This conversation is not over, Ben.”

“Yes, it is,” Ben said, shaking his head. “Go get yourself a waiter or waitress.”

Poe just rolled his eyes but walked away, and instead of picking up another essay, Ben let his eyes fall on where Rey was. She'd looked gorgeous the night before, but Ben still thought she was beautiful like this. Hair up in a messy bun, hardly any makeup on, a dress that didn't cling to her quite the same way the night before's had. Last night had been Rey dressed up for an occasion, but this was Rey as she was in everyday life, and that's the Rey he wanted to know. 

That's the Rey he wanted to love.

That thought terrified him.

She eventually made her way back to him with a coffee pot in hand, and Ben slid the cup towards her before she said a thing. “I really did enjoy last night, Ben. A lot.”

Ben felt something in his chest loosen slightly. “I really enjoyed it too. I'm looking forward to doing it again.”

“Me too, though I have no idea when that could possibly be. Poe still hasn't been able to hire anyone.”

“Rose said someone just came in about the Help Wanted sign, so hopefully that person works out.”

“That would be wonderful,” Rey said, smiling. “I am enjoying all of my tips, but I really do need a break. Yesterday was wonderful but I feel like I barely have time to sleep right now.”

“Well, as soon as you have a break and feel like you can sleep again, let me know and we will have our second date,” Ben got out. “Though I still am confused as to why you would want to go on one given what you now know.”

Rey set the coffee pot down on the table and reached out, brushing a lock of hair behind Ben's ear. “It doesn't scare me away knowing that it'll take you some time to get comfortable with all of this,” she said softly. “And I want to do it again because of this.”

Ben's eyes widened when Rey leaned down and kissed him, and she laughed when she pulled back. “That kiss last night was the best kiss I've ever had,” Rey said quietly. “And I want a lot more of them. If I have to be super patient, then I have to be super patient. You're worth it.”

Rey heard her name be called out and she smiled at him. “I'll be back with your food as soon as I can be, alright?”

Ben nodded and Rey walked away. 

Ben couldn't believe what had just happened. 

Rey couldn't wait for it to happen again.


End file.
